When the question “What is the biggest tip you have for high schoolers?” is asked, you can almost guarantee that the response will be somewhere along the lines of “get involved”. This answer doesn’t really give any clear tips on what exactly students should do, and sometimes “getting involved” feels a lot more complicated than simple.
High school is a place full of opportunities. There are so many avenues to follow that will lead you to people who share the same passions as you. For me, joining a club was one of the best decisions I have made in high school, and I want to share how it made my high school years so much more fruitful, and how you can start your own journey through a club. Joining a club is one of several ways to get involved, but I feel like you can really find your people through them.
I joined Frisco YoungLife, a Christian teen ministry, my freshman year. I had been involved in WyldLife, the youth ministry that precedes Younglife, in middle school, so it was a pretty easy transition heading into high school.
From freshman year to now, my senior year, I have continued to stay involved within YoungLife. I have made some of my best friendships within the community, and I have been able to grow within my faith. Each year I grow closer to the people I meet there, whether that is at a camp with them, or spending time at our Bible study each Sunday night. These past four years within the club have shaped the person I am now. I truly cannot imagine my high school experience without YoungLife.
Find a club that aligns with your passions! Or even attend a meeting of a club that you usually would not find yourself at. Sometimes taking a chance on things will show you what you really like. On campus you can find so many different clubs that already want you to join them.
As you move throughout high school, you will be able to get more and more involved in the club you are in. Once I became an upperclassman, I was able to do more of the planning for each YoungLife club we had. The same goes for each club on campus. You will be able to hold leadership positions as you spend more time within the club.
So to answer the question, there is really no “one way” to get involved. You just have to really figure out what interests you. From there, take the next step, and attend a meeting. Joining YoungLife has made such an impact on me, and I encourage everyone to find a place like that for them.
Love, Haley
